Johnny's Penknife
Johnny's penknife is a knife given to those assigned to the role of Johnny from the folk song, The Banks of Red Roses. It is the murder weapon featured in this story and is currently in the posession of Bane O'Rouge, the current barer of the mentioned role. Appearance The penknife is described in-story as being "long and sharp". It has a golden blade that is inscribed with the words "Freedom comes with a price". Its handle is made of ivory and has elaborate rose carvings. The handle is slender and tapered at the end. It's general appearance may lead to notion that it is catered to sharpening quills but this knife was truly designed to kill. History The murder ballad actually has its roots as what would be considered an innocent pastoral tune. However, it wasn't long before those given the honor to become its protagonist misused their privledges. The freedom to choose whom to love excluding those who already have destinies and have nearly unlimted chances to pursue their happily ever after, benefits that only a few stories offer, lead to the breaking of countless hearts and countless lives have been ruined. This has also lead to the changes in perception towards the story, turning it into a warning about the treacherous acts of rakes and runaways. The authorities needed a way to prevent further damage but they couldn't really tamper with rights they've promised to the role. That is until "the case" happened when one scottish Johnny was tried and found guilty of murdering his love. He was executed for overstepping the boundaries yet his cruel act sparked an idea. The idea was to preserve the true nature of the story by preserving this Johnny's legacy too as an extra potential ending to the story with hopes of striking fear into the hearts of his successors so they would know their place. And they have forged a weapon to serve that very purpose. This plan unfortunately backfired, resulting in some serial killers and the reluctance of many Johnnies in later generations in forming long term relationships, backing off at the first sight of trouble, wether it's the disapproval of their families or disagreements and complications between the pair. Therefore, the worse interpretations have outshone the original. Properties *The curse:This knife is infused with magic that creates hallucinations of its victims whenever it takes lives. In extreme cases, this can develop into a form of blindness, in which its wielder will fail to recognize others as who they are, instead see them as his previous victims. It also compels its owner to keep it close at hand, increasing its chances of getting used and raising the stakes. *Tracking:The penknife can send signals so it can easily be found and examined. If it comes into contact with a lot of blood (as in, if someone gets killed with it), this will be activated to aid investigation. This is the reason why it has always been successfully retrieved to be passed on to every new successor. No one other than the authorities themselves has yet to discover this property, not even Bane is aware of it at all. *Resurrection: This property is exclusively available for each Johnny's first victim, as to ensure her survival and provision of a heir. It is able to virtually heal all kinds of physical damage but it cannot prevent scars. Whoever survives getting attacked with this knife will be legally considered her corresponding generation's Mary. Her eldest son will also become the next generation's Johnny. It doesn't matter if he is also the son of the previous Johnny, as "what's closest to what could have been" is also accepted and is still more prioritized to the role than a random selection. Under the circumstances of a Johnny successfully completing both the tragic and the happy end and thus creating two viable successors (murdered "Mary"'s and married "Mary"'s sons), if one comes of age before the other is born then the former takes on the role. If not, then married "Mary"'s child will be chosen. This is also why the authorities only notify the family just before the start of the latest Johnny's first year. Trivia *This theory is based on some sources stating that the murder ballad version was a recent addition. According to MySongbook.de, it did not seem to appear in printed form before 1970. However, it did appear in Jean Redpath's album in 1962, suggesting it has circulated before that. Category:Objects Category:Madame O'Front